Caravaca de la Cruz — Holy City

Caravaca de la Cruz, 65 kilometres northwest of Murcia city, holds a distinction shared by only four other cities in the world: it is one of the Five Holy Cities recognised by the Vatican, alongside Jerusalem, Rome, Santiago de Compostela, and Santo Toribio de Liébana. The source of this sacred status is the Vera Cruz, a fragment of the True Cross said to have arrived miraculously in the city in 1231. Costa Azul buses from Murcia run three times daily (€5, approximately 1.5 hours); by car via the A-7 and RM-3, the drive takes around 1 hour 15 minutes. The Real Alcázar-Santuario de la Vera Cruz, the castle-sanctuary housing the relic, dominates the hilltop above the old city. Visitors enter the sanctuary museum to view the elaborate processional reliquary; the surrounding castle ramparts and views over the Argos Valley are themselves worth the ascent. Entry to the sanctuary and museum costs approximately €5. During Jubilee Years — which recur every seven years (next in 2031) — the relic is brought down for public veneration, drawing pilgrims from across the world. The most spectacular annual event is the Caballos del Vino on 2 May, when decorated horses in elaborate silk-embroidered costumes are ceremonially raced up the steep street to the castle, a tradition tracing its origins to the 13th-century relief of a siege. The Museo del Vino in the old town details this history alongside the territory's viticulture. Below the sanctuary, the Iglesia de El Salvador (16th-century Renaissance) and the quiet Plaza del Arco surround by noble houses reward a leisurely afternoon walk. Traditional bars around Plaza Mayor serve local rice dishes and slow-cooked lamb at menus del día from €11 to €15.